Energy Efficiency at Home

Energy efficiency is using less energy to provide the same level of energy service. Our homes represent a huge opportunity for us to take small steps to reduce our impacts on the environment. The following tips will help you become more energy efficient and also save you money. Put this on your fridge and check them off as you complete them. Share your success story here!

Local Foods at Home

Local food is the production, process, distribution and consumption of food with-in a specific region, usually 100 miles from farm to fork. A focus on local food is essential for a sustainable economy in Cleveland because of its environmental benefits and because it is an economic driver. You can make a big impact by eating local foods at home. Check out the tips below and share your success story here!

Shop at Farmers’ Markets: You’ll benefit from fresher produce while reducing your carbon foot-print. Locate a farmers market in the Community Food Guide.

Join Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): A farmer offers shares of their produce to the public and consumers purchase a share to receive a variety of weekly produce. Find local CSAs in the Community Food Guide.

Renewable Energy at Home

Advanced and Renewable Energy Works in Northeast Ohio. Energy use and production is one of the largest sources of carbon emissions in the U.S., as well as one of the most costly expenses for households. Participate in the actions below and share your success story here!

Purchase Renewable Energy through community aggregation if you're a First Energy Customer. The City of Cleveland’s community aggregation program provides residential and small commercial CEI customers the opportunity to save money on their electric bills and to power their home with a percentage of renewable energy.

Purchase Solar for your home by joining Solarize Cleveland or a solar co-op. Solarize Cleveland provides an instant, free solar analysis of your home that shows how much you can save on your electric bill by going solar.

Zero Waste at Home

By reducing the amount of waste the city produces and sends to landfills, Clevelanders can improve human health through the elimination of hazardous waste, protect and increase property values and quality of place, as well as save business, government, organizations and the community money. The tips below on reducing, re-using and recycling at home are great ways to get started.Share your success story here!

Clean Water at Home

Fresh water resources represent an invaluable local asset that has shaped Cleveland’s identity, both in the way that the city has perceived itself and how it has been recognized outside the region. You can help keep our waterways fishable, swimmable and drinkable! Here are some tips that you can do at home to help improve water quality and conservation. Share your success story here!

Sustainable Transportation at Home

There are many actions Clevelanders can take at home, at work and in the community to help grow sustainable transportation. Actions include biking, walk-ing, taking transit, carpooling, car sharing and much more! Not only do these actions reduce roadway congestion and carbon emissions, they also provide health benefits and improved air quality. Share your success story here!

Have at least one car-free day every week.

Joinbike to work day. Each month from May to October, Greater Clevelanders are encouraged to leave their car at home and commute by bike for Bike to Work Day. You can link up with other commuters at gathering points and energizer stations, learn from others how to commute and the best routes to take, or share what you know with the less experienced.

Vibrant Greenspace at Home

The diverse environmental, economic and social benefits of Cleveland’s green space underpin the sustainable development of the city. The expansion of parks and natural areas, community gardens, urban farms, green roofs, landscaped boulevards, bike paths, trails, schoolyards, recreational areas, and other public open green space in Cleveland can help to establish a broad swath of green space. Cleveland has the only national park in an urban setting in the United States and it is the sixth most visited national park in the country. Do your part at home and share your success story here!

Vital Neighborhoods at Home

Neighborhoods are the building blocks of a great urban area. They are the real places of daily life — places where people interact face to face, where transactions are made, and where a sense of identity and history is created. By fostering the development of a vibrant public realm for all to share neighborhoods can make affordable, low-consumption lifestyles more convenient and attractive. Learn how to build vital neighborhoods below and share your success story here!

Be Resilient. Keep and maintain an emergency supply kit in your home, have an emergency preparedness plan and check on vulnerable neighbors during high heat days or other emergencies.

Get to know your neighbors to build community cohesion. Check out the Neighbor Up Network to learn how.

Engaged People at Home

Sustainable Cleveland’s motto, “Together, we’re building a thriving green city on a blue lake,” emphasizes empowerment, cooperation, action, quality of life, and abundance. People, not programs, are the answer to true and lasting climate action in Cleveland. This means that a whole system, citizen-centered approach will be needed to align climate action with the assets, capacity and priorities of Cleveland residents and business owners.